Genetic architecture of two red ruffed lemur (Varecia rubra) populations of Masoala National Park

• Published in: Primates Vol. 51; no. 1; pp. 53 - 61
• Main Authors: Razakamaharavo, Vololoniaina R., McGuire, Susie M., Vasey, Natalie, Louis, Edward E., Brenneman, Rick A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan Springer Japan 2010; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animal Ecology; Animal populations; Animals; Anthropogenic factors; Behavioral Sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Demography; Ecosystem; Evolutionary Biology; Forests; Genetic Variation; Genomics; Genotype; Genotype & phenotype; Habitat fragmentation; Habitats; Lemur; Lemuridae - genetics; Life Sciences; Madagascar; Monkeys & apes; National parks; Original Article; Population genetics; Population structure; Trees; Zoology; Madagascar; Masoala National Park; ISW, Indian Ocean, Madagascar; Madagascar, Masoala Peninsula; Habitat fragmentation; Population structure; Microsatellites; Anthropogenic pressure
• ISSN: 0032-8332; 1610-7365
• DOI: 10.1007/s10329-009-0171-0

The current range of the red ruffed lemur (
Varecia rubra
) population is primarily restricted to forests of the Masoala Peninsula on the northeastern coast of Madagascar. Whereas much of the peninsula is protected as Masoala National Park, parts of the forest are at risk from anthropogenic pressures and habitat fragmentation. We sampled 32 individual red ruffed lemur from two sites: Ambatoledama (DAMA), a narrow forest corridor across an area of degraded habitat connecting larger blocks of forest in the northwestern reaches of the park, and Masiaposa (MAS) forest, a largely pristine forest on the lower western side of the peninsula. Population genetic parameters were estimated for these two populations employing 15 microsatellite loci derived from the
V. variegata
genome. We found that by exceeding the expected heterozygosity at mutation-drift equilibrium, the DAMA population has undergone a recent population bottleneck. Population structure analysis detected individuals harboring genotypic admixture of the DAMA genetic cluster in the MAS population, suggesting a possibility of unilateral gene flow or movement between these populations.